Former leading New Zealand publisher and bookseller, and widely experienced judge of both the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, talks about what he is currently reading, what impresses him and what doesn't, along with chat about the international English language book scene, and links to sites of interest to booklovers.

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Daughter pays homage to her WW2 airman father at book launch

You couldn’t find a more fitting place than MOTAT’s Aviation
Display Hall in Western Springs for the launch of book, From Battle of Britain Airman to POW Escapee: The Story of Ian Walker
RAF.

Surrounded by aircraft and strategically positioned in front
of a Lancaster Bomber, guests were moved by Angela Walker’s loving tribute to her late father. Speaking with
huge admiration and respect, Angela talked about Ian’s many war time exploits,
including his audacious escape from a German prisoner of war camp, and talked
about why she was inspired to write the book.

Here, we meet
a man who Sir Winston Churchill described as one of “The Few” who flew scores
of death-defying missions over Germany with Bomber Command. We also hear about
Ian Walker the athlete (he was a champion cyclist who narrowly missed on being
selected for the Empire Games) and family man; a gentle soul who talked little
of his war time experiences, but who loved to spend time in his garden and eat
organic food.

Angela’s book
was launched by friend and special guest Lisa Chappell (best known for playing
Claire McLeod in ‘McLeod’s Daughters’). Together, they shared heart-felt and
humorous anecdotes about a remarkable man whose athleticism, determination and
courage not only inspired Angela to write about him, but to win a Commonwealth
Games gold medal.

To the delight
of guests, many of whom remembered Ian with great fondness, Angela and Lisa also
read from his many letters and journals. Discovered posthumously, these are the
central pivot of From Battle
of Britain Airman to POW Escapee: The Story of Ian Walker RAF,
a book which takes the reader on a thrilling journey into the heart of Europe’s
theatre of war.

From Battle of Britain Airman to POW Escapee: The Story of
Ian Walker RAF
by Angela Walker is distributed by South Pacific Books and available in
bookshops nationwide.